Label: Hammer Recordings, 2026

Personnel - Florian Arbenz: drums; Bill Frisell: guitar; Greg Osby: alto and soprano saxophone.

Swiss drummer and composer Florian Arbenz, known for his Conversation series, returns with Quiet Lights, featuring regular collaborator Greg Osby on saxophones and a new addition to his circle of musical associates: the remarkable Bill Frisell on guitar.

Boasting a deep Americana feel, “Homenaje” is layered with percussive dexterity, a coherent saxophone narrative, and a blend of bluesy and folksy guitar textures. Osby and Frisell drift in and out of the musical landscape before gradually bringing their lines into closer dialogue around the second minute. The trio becomes even more integrated as Frisell expands his chordal work, radiating beauty through his unmistakable tone. Osby responds with denser phrasing and a confident attack that heightens the tension, while the trio eventually plunges into a sleek, dance-like 12-beat rumba-inspired cycle. Also highlighting Arbenz’s affinity for Latin rhythms, “Rhumba” closes the album with a percussive pedal effect—emulating a bass line—and unexpected atmospheric gestures from Frisell, who subtly shapes the environment with electronics.

The mysterious “Chant” is initially underpinned by a sparse, dark-hued drone that, gradually allows light to seep in. Soft guitar textures are joined by shimmering cymbal colors and reflective soprano saxophone musings. The title track, “Quiet Lights”, carries a vibing quality and ambient pulse, weaving an elegant and refined texture. Arbenz employs custom-made percussion instruments alongside the drum kit, and the piece proves immediately accessible to the ear, much like “Lueget vo Berg und Tal”, a heartfelt reinterpretation of a traditional Swiss song reharmonized with cultivated taste.

On “Jammin’ in the Children’s Corner”, written by Arbenz for saxophonist Dave Liebman, the trio reveals especially compelling aspects of its chemistry. Here, rigorous preparation meets genuine spontaneity in an exhilarating journey marked by precise accentuation and a gravitational energy surrounding the alto saxophone lines over agile brushwork. Frisell’s punctuated observations emerge with sharp motivic instinct. “The Barradas Opening”, which alludes to Portuguese accordionist João Barradas, is a bluesy, groove-oriented slow burner distinguished by strong interplay and finely shaped unisons, bridging Americana and contemporary elements with ease.

Quiet Lights doesn’t really pack a punch, but unfolds gracefully without ever needing to force its impact, offering a charming and often introspective listening experience.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Homenaje ► 02 - Chant ► 03 - Jammin’ in the Children’s Corner

Label: Hammer Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Florian Arbenz: drums; Greg Osby: alto saxophone; Arno Krijger: Hammond organ.

Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz reunites with American saxophone heavyweight Greg Osby, one of his jazz heroes with whom he recorded previously at least three times, and adds Dutch organist Arno Krijger to the team. Targeted is the ninth installment of his Conversation series, which features a different lineup in every session. Of the six cuts on this album, two emanated from the pen of Arbenz and one from Osby, while the remaining three are scintillating readings of jazz standards.

Eddie Harris’ jazz-rock gem “Freedom Jazz Dance” opens the album with a free posture, but rather than conveying abstract states of mind, the trio goes straight to the gut. All layers are slowly distended. The alto saxophone introduction expands into sophisticated phrases that keep dancing in and out of the harmonic scope; the percolating tom-tom accompaniment of the first phase ends up in a locomotion propulsion; and the groovy sounds of the Hammond go from conciliatory to acerbic while infusing a psychedelic rock touch.

The program also stands out thanks to a pair of duets that lean hard on turns with risk-taking propensity. On the Osby-penned “Vertical Hold”, which first appeared on his 2005 Blue Note album Channel Three, resolute saxophone lines roll over the brushed percussive gait of the bandleader. It’s not just their dazzling vocabulary but the purity of their sounds that astonishes. The other duo effort pairs Arbenz and Krijger in a psychedelic, hard-driving interpretation of “Seven Steps to Heaven” by Victor Feldman and Miles Davis. Before attaining a rugged organ epiphany, there’s an introductory drum section with just enough transference of energy between resonating toms and effervescent cymbals.

Arbenz’s “Sleeping Mountain” conjures serene landscapes in its contemplation, but there are brief soaring moments where some mystery is felt. Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” is delivered in a hushed murmur, unlike “Old Shaman”, which bubbles up with a triple time feel, having post-bop and rock elements clashing in positive ways. This trio proves capable of sonically panoramic views.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Freedom Jazz Dance ► 03 - Vertical Hold ► 06 - Old Shaman